FISHING FORECAST: Fall fishing gets off to normal start

Photo courtesy of Capt. Ray Golden.ome big bull reds have been on the catch list this week, and Capt. Ray Golden shows one measuring over 40 inches in length. The fish was immediately released after photo was taken. )

Photo courtesy of Trey Legget. A HOW participant is shown fishing from a kayak on the Skidaway Narrows in an event held this past Saturday sponsored by the Georgia Chapter of Heroes On the Water - a program for wounded and injured military personnel.

Photo courtesy of Capt. James Sather The final weekend of the recently opened red snapper season proved to be highly successful for this group fishing with Capt. James Sather, far right, of Thunderboat aboard Tight Lines. With Sather, left to right, are Matt Albert, Chris Blessing, Mack Burris, and Chad Lading.

The fall fishing season appears to be getting off to a normal start as action picks up with the three most popular species caught along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts.

Calls to various fishing camps, marinas, bait suppliers and guides this week show the bite to be strong with spotted seatrout, red drum and flounder as water temps continue to drop.

There still is an apparent shortage of bait shrimp in the Chatham County area, and reports indicate that the overall shrimp population is currently experiencing what is known as “black gill,” a condition which occurs naturally, usually in late summer and fall. It is not a condition that affects the quality of shrimp as related to human consumption.

Widespread reports

Even with spring tides and a full moon, the bite was strong and wide-spread along the coast this past weekend as the reports of who is catching what began to trickle in.

Several reports were received of limit catches of trout, many of which were in the 17- to 19-inch size, although there were far more reports of individual counts ranging from a half dozen to a dozen fish.

There also were limits of keeper-size red drum in the reports, although it should be noted there were far more of both those too small to keep and those over the maximum size in the counts than were keepers.

Reports of trout catches came in from as far north on the coast as Hilton Head to Brunswick southward, with lots of throw-backs in the mix with keepers.

Same for the reds, and with both species it should be noted that most of the action took place in areas where waters were clear, mostly during periods when tides were high or on the low ebbs.

That there also was some action reported with flounder, and some sizeable fish taken, along with some tripletails still lingering in the area, also adds to the excitement.

Red snapper catch

It is history now since the red snapper fishing window has closed again, but for the two three-day weekends it was open, there was plenty to talk about.

Although only a few specific catches were reported, it is obvious from those received that few if any who fished for red snapper during those two periods were not successful.

Capt. James Sather with “Tight Lines” fishing team out of Thunderbolt, emailed us a report from the final Sunday in the two-weekend opening.

The group left out at first light for the offshore destination, and within 10 minutes of dropping live bait to the bottom had a 19-pound red snapper on. Quickly came two more for the group, each weighing in the 20- to 23-pound range.

“We moved to another hole and picked up three more snapper,” he wrote in an email, explaining that once they had gotten the bag limit of one each per angler on board, they moved to a couple more drops, picking up grunts and vermillion snapper.

“Total catch was six red snapper, 12 vermillion, three grunts, a great day on the ‘Tight Lines,’ ” he said in closing.

Fishing that day with Capt. Jimmy were Matt Albert, Chris Blessing, Mack Burris and Chad Landing.

Capt. Judy Helmey (Miss Judy Charters) said this week, that during the two weekends the red snapper season was open, she did not book any special trips specifically to target the species — that those aboard who wanted to catch one and keep it, did so.

And relative to the current offshore picture, she reports that the bottom fishing at the Snapper Banks and elsewhere is excellent, emphasizing that a lot of fish of various species can be caught, but few can be kept.

More on near-shore, inshore

Back on the inshore and near-shore scene, and what was caught. Capt. Ray Golden, who operates Coffee Bluff Marina and Rose Dhu resident David Sloan last Thursday were targeting spotted sea trout in the Ossabaw Sound area, and found the trout more attracted to top-water lures than to live shrimp.

Finding the trout were ignoring both shrimp and artificial Gulp baits, which normally are an attraction, they went to surface lures.

“It was one of the best days I have ever seen for trout smashing the baits,” he wrote, adding “they smacked at almost every top-water bait we twitched across their noses.”

The two ended up catching nine, and had at least 25 to 30 making passes at the lures.

It was on the same trip that the two went to see if any tripletails were still around in the area, with Capt. Ray landing one on the first cast.

They finished the day chasing reds, coming back with three keepers.

One of the flounder catches was made by another Coffee Bluff area angler, Mike Smith, who landed one this past weekend that tipped the scales at 5.6 pounds.

Renovation closure

For those who may not know it, Coffee Bluff Marina will soon be closed for renovations.

A property of the City of Savannah, it is to undergo extensive make-over and will reopen sometime in the coming year.

Since it was purchased in 2009, Coffee Bluff Marina has developed into an increasingly popular location for recreational boaters and fishermen. It is the only public marina in Chatham County and one of the few on the Georgia coast.

When renovations are complete, look for it to become a showcase facility for which the City of Savannah can be justifiably proud.

In ways it already is, much to the credit of the couple who have run it since June of 2009, Ray and Amy Golden.

Capt. Ray, as I often refer to him in weekly fishing reports, and Amy not only have provided the necessary products that boaters and anglers look for at such facilities to make their times on the water more enjoyable, they also have taken the time to assist residents and visitors who are unfamiliar with area waters on where and when to go, both to catch fish and to enjoy a day on the water.

That is a plus for any such business, public or private.

No date has been given as to when the facility will re-open, but when it does, expect it to be one of the best such facilities on the coast.

About HOW Chapter

And as a closure for this week’s report, got an email from Trey Leggett, a member of Georgia Kayak Fishing, and the Jackson Kayak Fishing team about Coastal Georgia Heroes On the Water Chapter and their first event, which was held this past Saturday on the Skidaway Narrows.

Heroes on the Water, (HOW) is a program which serves all military personnel who have been wounded, injured or disabled .

“What looks like a day trip of paddling and fishing for wounded vets is in fact something much deeper and long-lasting,” he wrote, and referred to a quote from one — “You have given us a new sport that we can do with our injuries. I yearn for a morning in the woods with my bike, or a long run down our country road … however, those thoughts have been replaced now by a talk of new fishing tackle, rods, watercraft, and terrain. You have no idea how mentally and physically healing your program is. Thank you.”

First local event

As noted, this was the first for the Georgia Chapter, and they played host to two soldiers from a nearby military installation.

The volunteers, coordinators and soldiers met in the morning, fishing the incoming tides out of kayaks. “We saw tons of bait in the water, a flying boat, and caught some feisty speckled trout on artificial lures. The water and the weather were awesome, and the soldiers had a great experience kayak fishing and forgetting about their day-to-day stresses. We plan on having more events in the future and will more than likely have another before the year is out,” he wrote.

Jim Kelly is coordinator of the Georgia Chapter. For more on HOW, visit heroesonthewater/home.